Harbinger
by TheKnightEternal
Summary: Part II. The Satre Crusade continues, plunging deeper into the vast territories of the Republic. It's a few days late and this will be the last one for a while.


The Faustus Class Interceptor swept across the atmosphere of the fallen world, slowly manoeuvring between debris as it decelerated to coasting velocity. The final planet in the Aldruin star cluster had been liberated and the fallen ships of the planets hastily organised defence now littered the skies. The gun grey Interceptor nimbly slipped beneath the massive carcass of a once proud star ship as it adjusted its flight path. Strapped safely to his hydraulic arrestor strut within the command cabin, Captain Hydrian Vaugn navigated the Interceptor through the last of the wreckage. Vaugn was a veteran of over twenty years in the command seat. He had seen more battles than he could have ever hoped for and lost more friends than he cared to think about. He checked his scanner feed. It was a routine sweep, fighter squads of Interceptors were to scour the wreckage of the battle and dig out any surviving ships that had dodged the initial engagement. Vaugn had seen the speed and manoeuvrability of the enemy ships. He doubted any would have stuck around. His intercom whined as he directed the Interceptor past another wrecked Republican ship. 'Captain' a voice buzzed through the feed. It was Marcus, the ships Observation Officer. 'Report' Vaugn replied through his micro-bead. Marcus's voice sounded shaky, as if unnerved. 'I think something's wrong with the Astropath he stated after a pause. Vaugn grimaced, there was always something wrong with the damn Astropath. 'Besides the usual?' he replied, his voice thick with disdain. He didn't have time for this. Marcus, quick to take cracks at the ships Astropath ignored the remark. The Captain started to pay attention. 'What seems to be the problem' he queried, his tone now serious. Markus switched from the intercom to the display screen, his thick jawline and high cheekbones filling the console. 'Sir, the Astropath has begun convulsing. I haven't seen a seizure take him this badly before. I think we might lose him.' Vaugn rubbed his tired eyes as he stared at the console. He could see the Astropath thrashing and muttering in his throne cradle behind Marcus. 'What is he saying?' Vaugn asked, relinquishing his grip on the ships controls and allowing the Interceptors auto-guidance to take over. Marcus shrugged his big shoulders and turned to look at the Astropath. 'I can't decipher it sir. It's all garble to me.' Vaugn nodded and sighed as Marcus turned back to the screen. 'Kheking warp junk if you ask me' he said, using the Vostroyan curse to full effect. 'Marcus!' shouted Vaugn. 'Sorry sir, slip of the tongue.' Vaugn shook his head briskly at the embarrassed Observational Officer 'Your nose you fool. You're bleeding everywhere!' Marcus slowly raised a hand to his face, feeling the slick blood dripping down onto his uniform. Behind him the Astropath began to scream.

The cavernous tiered chamber of the Senate Arena echoed with roars of approval as the Supreme Chancellor rose to speak. He raised a hand, smiling as the representatives from numerous worlds clapped and cheered. His repulsorpod hovered slowly towards the centre of the Grand Convocation Chamber as he basked in the approval of his audience. The Senate had just amended the Galactic Constitution, granting him executive authority and rendering the Senate almost powerless. He smiled again as his eyes caught those of Queen Amidala's. She had not been the same since her return from Tatooine he thought as his repulsorpod came to a stop, but she had played her part. It was Padme's emotional speech that had rallied the Senate to his cause. Her account of the massacre, the slaughter and the carnage wrought by the so called liberators had horrified the Senate. The final nail in the coffin had been her description of the extermination of every single species on the planet barring one. Humans had survived the purge. Single minded and primitive though they were, the Chancellor had begun to feel a grudging admiration for this so called 'Imperium of Mankind'. The roar of the Senate slowly dissipated as the representatives looked to the Supreme Chancellor expectantly. A hover cam floated directly before his repulsorpod and the Chancellor cleared his throat. 'It is with great reluctance' he began. His voice smooth even with the amplification. 'That I accept the power the most gracious Senate has awarded my office.' His voice echoed across the chamber, the Senators holding onto every word. He had them in the palm of his hand. 'This new threat' he continued, turning his gaze from the hover cam to the hundreds of repulsorpods before him 'Is a threat to us all!' his voice rose 'A threat to our way of life' the senate erupted again 'A threat to the safety and security of the Republic!' The cries of the representatives nearly drowned him out. He sensed the mood of the room, he was a master orator-amongst other things- and paused, letting the cheers fade again. He tilted his neck and turned back to the hover cam. 'No longer shall the defence of the Republic be bogged down by argument and confusion. No longer shall we watch as our worlds are pummelled by these barbaric invaders.' He turned to the Druckenwell representative, nodding his head in sympathy. Druckenwell was currently under heavy assault. 'No!' he continued, his voice rose once more. 'We shall act with speed and determination to curb this threat and send them back to the heathen worlds they came from!' The roar of the Senate would have drowned out anything else he said. He bowed, his repulosorpod rising higher and higher in the centre of the arena. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine smiled.

They had come during the night, when the stars had awoken. Thousands upon thousands of them, tearing through the heavens like comets from some distant collapsed moon. Sergeant Ergor had watched in awe as the objects penetrated Druckenwell's atmosphere, the skies behind them ablaze with combat as two gigantic fleets battled for the stars. Druckenwell's planetary based defensive system had been quick to engage, countless blasters and ion cannons firing into the sky as the full power of the industrial world was unleashed. He watched as one of the larger transport ships breached the world's atmosphere only to be obliterated by an ion cannon blast. Another was winged by laser cannons as it spiralled downwards to its doom. But still they came, relentless in their descent. Many of them were too small to target. Atmospheric pattern defense fighters- the smaller cousins of the mighty starfighters-rose to engage the swarms of landing craft only to be met by the enemies own fighters. He felt the ground tremble as an explosion went off nearby and glanced up as a trio of mat black fighter bombers flashed past. Ergor's communications bead blinked once before the voice of Lieutenant Walsh buzzed in his ear 'Sergeant Ergor.' The Lieutenant uttered 'Platoon deployment zones have been established.' The voice was calm, no hint of the panic that Ergor felt grip his own body. 'Standard protocols apply.' There was a pause 'Good luck.' The Sergeant pulled out his bio slate and examined his orders. He was stationed in a secondary industrial sector, just off Asphalt IX and the blue collar districts. His platoon was to hold the sector at all costs. He glanced back at the sky one last time before rushing from the observer post to the rest of his platoon.

Ergor threw himself to the ground as the solid rounds sprayed the wall behind him. He uttered a curse at the sight of a trooper collapsing to his left. The massive rounds had nearly cut through him, leaving his torso a bloody mess. The soldiers of the Imperium had been quick to mobilize once they had hit the ground, displaying initiative he had never seen before. They had smashed into the capital city from landing sites in the Northern, Eastern and Southern most sectors. Infantry, personnel carriers, armoured assault vehicles and heavy surface to surface attack weapons had all been seen moving in through the city. He had been surprised at the use of solid rounds, primitive things he had only seen in memory banks and bio slates. He cringed at the heavy fire of the auto-cannon, its rounds still pounding his position. Then silence. He risked a glance through the window of the factory he and his command squad had positioned themselves in. Through the smoke that rolled across the wide street he caught sight of about a dozen men moving towards their position. They wore thick armour plating over their chests and smaller, thinner pauldrons that protected their shoulders and necks. Their black fatigues were covered in dust and grit from the street to street fighting. Ergor ducked his head back under cover and was about to command his men to return fire when he heard it. A high pitched whining that quickly turned into a deeper, throaty roar. He peered back into the street in time to see the heavy chain blade being raised and the troops charging towards their position, thick bayonets attached to their blasters. 'Fire! Fire! Fire' He screamed as he saw dozens more charging out from the smoke. He shot down two guardsmen as they charged across the street, battle cries still on their lips. Ergor hastily slammed another shot into the swarm of approaching guardsmen before tapping his comm. bead desperately 'Corporal Eldin, get your squad over here now!' and then they were upon him.

His ensign was cut down mercilessly as he tried to hold the front door of the manufacturing plant, a bayonet piercing his heart even as he fired into the ranks of the charging mass. Ergor and the remainder of his squad fired hopelessly at the ruthless soldiers that broke into the factory, the sound of the chainsaw heralding their doom. Many of Ergor's shots ricocheted off of thick chest plates and pauldrons but he kept firing. They would pay dearly for his life.

The static form of Admiral Ellchan filled the lesser chamber as the hologram flickered into being. He bowed his head, revealing a premature bald patch that covered his crown 'We have orders to engage, my Masters' he said, paying due deference to the office of the high Masters of the order. Mace Windu grimaced at the news. This was too soon. 'When is the attack set to commence?' he asked. The Admiral glanced at his bio-slate before responding 'As we speak battle fleets from Coruscant, the Koornacht Cluster and the Core Worlds are assembling. The counter attack shall begin momentarily.' Windu nodded, rubbing his smooth jawline as he considered the implications. 'And the army?' he inquired dryly. Despite the fact that the Navy was instrumental in transporting, supplying and feeding the army, the disconnect between the two was infamous. Admiral Ellchan barely suppressed a sneer and, to his credit, managed to keep his voice level. 'We are planning a joint operation with the army stationed upon the various fleet sections as well as the various brigades which are en-route to the stationing area.' Master Windu nodded slowly. He knew what that meant. The Navy would dictate the field of operations and the army would obey. The Admiral hesitated and bowed his head once more 'Masters, if there is nothing more, I really must attend to my duties.' Master Windu tilted his head in acknowledgment 'Do keep us informed.' Admiral Ellchan bowed once more, it was clearly an order and not a request. The hologram flickered once more and the Admiral was gone.

And in the dark abyss of space, something began to move.


End file.
